Oral compositions which mask the salty taste of salts

Abstract

An oral composition or dentifrice containing a salt, such as for example, sodium bicarbonate, a zinc salt, or a strontium salt, wherein the salty taste ordinarily imparted by the salt is completely or partially masked by the combination of effective amounts of an ion-channel competitor, an initial sweetener and a delayed sweetener. The oral composition or dentifrice preferably contains sodium citrate as the ion-channel competitor, saccharin as the initial sweetener, and mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate as the delayed sweetener.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An oral composition comprising a salt, an ion-channel competitor, an initial sweetener, and a delayed sweetener, wherein the ion-channel competitor, initial sweetener, and delayed sweetener are present in amounts which are effective to abate or eliminate the salty taste ordinarily imparted by the salt.  
     
     
         2 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ion-channel competitor is selected from the group consisting of sodium salts of citric acid, sodium salts of phosphoric acid, sodium salts of hydroxy acids, and calcium salts of hydroxy acids.  
     
     
         3 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ion-channel competitor includes a salt of a hydroxy acid, wherein the hydroxy acid is selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, lactic acid, hydroxybutyric acid, mandeliec acid, glycergic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and mesotartaric acid.  
     
     
         4 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ion-channel competitor includes sodium citrate.  
     
     
         5 . The oral composition of  claim 4 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of from about 0.25% to about 2.0% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         6 . The oral composition of  claim 5 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of about 1.0% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         7 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the initial sweetener is selected from the group consisting of saccharin, sucralose, neotame, alitame, aspartame, cyclamate, thaumatin, a dihydrochalcone, and an acesulfame potassium compound.  
     
     
         8 . The oral composition of  claim 7 , wherein the initial sweetener includes saccharin.  
     
     
         9 . The oral composition of  claim 8 , wherein the saccharin is present in an amount of from about 0.10% to about 0.80% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         10 . The oral composition of  claim 9 , wherein the saccharin is present in an amount of about 0.60% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         11 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the delayed sweetener includes mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate.  
     
     
         12 . The oral composition of  claim 11 , wherein the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 0.50% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         13 . The oral composition of  claim 12 , wherein the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of about 0.30% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         14 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of metallic salts of chlorines, metallic salts of fluorines, metallic salts of phosphates, metallic salts of carbonates, zinc salts, strontium salts, stannous salts, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The oral composition of  claim 1 , wherein the salt includes a zinc salt or a strontium salt.  
     
     
         16 . An oral composition comprising a salt, an effective amount of sodium citrate, an effective amount of saccharin, and an effective amount of mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate, wherein the effective amounts of sodium citrate, saccharin, and mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate are effective to mask the salty taste ordinarily imparted by the salt.  
     
     
         17 . The oral composition of  claim 16 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of from about 0.25% to about 2.0% of the total weight of the oral composition, the saccharin is present in an amount of from about 0.10% to about 0.80% of the total weight of the oral composition, and the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 0.50% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         18 . The oral composition of  claim 17 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of about 1.0% of the total weight of the oral composition, the saccharin is present in an amount of about 0.60% of the total weight of the oral composition, and the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of about 0.30% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         19 . The oral composition of  claim 16 , wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of metallic salts of chlorines, metallic salts of fluorines, metallic salts of phosphates, metallic salts of carbonates, zinc salts, strontium salts, stannous salts, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The oral composition of  claim 16 , wherein the salt includes a zinc salt or a strontium salt.  
     
     
         21 . A method of masking the salty taste of a salt in an oral composition comprising the step of adding to the oral composition an effective amount of an ion-channel competitor, an effective amount of an initial sweetener, and an effective amount of a delayed sweetener.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the ion-channel competitor comprises sodium citrate, the initial sweetener comprises saccharin, and the delayed sweetener comprises mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of from about 0.25% to about 2.0% of the total weight of the oral composition, the saccharin is present in an amount of from about 0.10% to about 0.80% of the total weight of the oral composition, and the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 0.50% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the sodium citrate is present in an amount of about 1.0% of the total weight of the oral composition, the saccharin is present in an amount of about 0.60% of the total weight of the oral composition, and the mono-ammonium glycyrrhizinate is present in an amount of about 0.30% of the total weight of the oral composition.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of metallic salts of chlorines, metallic salts of fluorines, metallic salts of phosphates, metallic salts of carbonates, zinc salts, strontium salts, stannous salts, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the salt includes a zinc salt or a strontium salt.